Safety device for woodworking-machines.



No. 69|,074. Patenta!! lan. l4, I902.. T. B. RICE, n. SAFETY DEVICE FORWOUDWORKING MACHINES.

(Application 'filed Aug. a 1, 1901.

(No Model.)

me owns z'zns co. mom-uma.. WASNINGTON. D. c.

NlTBD %Tarras ATBNT rri at THOMAS B. RICE, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVECE FOR WOODWORKING VACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. &591,074, dated January14, 1902. Application filed August 31,1901. Serial No. 73,904. (Nomodel.)

To all whom 't may conccrn:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. Rron, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SafetyDevices for VVoodworking-Machines,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists of a safety device for woodworking-machines-forinstance, sawing-machines, printing-presses, planers, and the 1ike-theobject being to provide a mechanism that automatically yields and stepsthe machine when a board of nnnsual size or shape is encountered.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will behereinafter set forth.

It is understood, of course, that while I have illustrated my inventionas applied to a sawing-machine and have arranged the safety de Vice toyield and to shift a belt from a fast to a loose pu1ley,-yet it can beapplied to other machines-such as planers, printing-presses, and thelikeand may be arranged to actuate other means for regulating the powerthat drives the machine.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a sawing-machine to which myinvention is applied. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view showing theConstruction between the beltshiftingmechanism and automatic devices forOperating the same. Fig. 3 representsa detailed perspective View of thebelt-shifter. Fig. i represents a detailed side elevation illustratingthe passage of a board with a warped end. Fig. 5 represents a face viewof the safety-gate and accompanying parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures. 4

Referring to the drawings, A designates a sawing -machine which is ofordinary construction. The bed B of the machine is provided with a longitudinal slot or way C, within which the chain Dtravels, said chainbeing provided with lugs or projections E and being driven by anysuitable powerfor instance, from the power-shaft F, carrying the fastpulley G and loose pulley H, by means of a belt J, extending to theshaft carrying the saw K, and then by the belts L and M and the pulleysand gear shown. Mounted upon the bed B are the plates or guide N,between which a plurality of boards P are stacked, and at the end of thesaid guide N, adjacent to the saw, is a gate Q, that is-pivoted at itsupper end, so as to swing forward, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower edge ofsaid gate Q is Situated a little distance above the top of the bed B toprovide snfiicient space to allow the boards P to pass the'reunder.Projecting out- Wardly from the gate is an arm R, and at the side of thebed is a pi n S, upon which is hooked the bar T, said bar T having aneye at its end and being connected with the belt-shifter U by theconnection V, that is trained over suitable pnlleys W, as shown. Saidconnection V is fastened to the slide X, that earries the belt-shifterU, while to the other end of* the slide X a weight Y is fastened, whichwhen the slide is released is heavy enough to draw the slide to the leftin Fig. 2 and shift the belt to the loose pulley H.

The operation is as follows: In the ordinary operation of the machinethe bar T is hooked upon the pin S and the arm R of the gate is belowsaid bar T. In this position the belt J is on the fast pulley, and ifthe boards are of uniform thickness and shape the projections E of thesprocket-chain will successively advance the lowermost board below thegate and to the saw K. If, however, a board is too thick or is warped oris fed incorrectly or for any other reasons contacts with the lower edgeof the gate Q, the advancement of said board will swing said gate on itspivot, as shown in Fig. 4, which will raise the arm R, and thusdisengage the bar T and pin S. Upon the disengagement of these parts theslideXis released and the weight will draw it to one side, therebyshifting the belt and stoppin g the operation of the machine.

It will be apparent that slight changes may be made by those skilled inthe art which will come within the scope of my invention,and I do not,therefore, desire to be limited to the eX- act construction herein shownand described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a machine of the kind specified, a guide, a moVable gate at oneend thereof, an arm carried by said gate, fixed means on the frame ofthe machine, a bar having one end detachably and normally engaged oversaid IOO the machine, a bar engaging said pin and extending across theupper edge of said arm, a slide carrying a belt-shifter that engages thepower-belt of the machine, a weight for moving said slide in onedirection, and a connection between said slide and said bar.

THOMAS B. RICE, JR.

Wtnesses:

E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS, C. D. MCVAY.

